Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1887-04-07
IN THE MIDDLE WEST.
A Story of Life in the Great
Mississippi Valley.
BY kLvA MILTON KERR.
tCorYRroHT. 1886, ny THE A. N. KELLOGG |
NEWSPAPER COMPANYl
CHAPTER xxL-covrrvuEn

CHAPTER XXL-CoNriNugn
Some such shadowy, wandering
wish as this last was turning weariy
about in John Earnings mind when
morning came He had come back TO
the town when he saw that the sick
eniEg tragedy on the hill was in
cvitable, and. climbing TO his room
under the roof of Bowers Block.
paced to and fro for hours. At
last he sat down between the dim
lamp and lukewarm stove with his
face IN mis- hands and thought and
thought upon the myriad-colored prob
lem of existence. He could not lay
the oolors straight. and at last the hues
all bent and the problem seemed a
mighty, swiftly-whirling wheel that
drew sparks out OF she darkness by the
thousands and they streamed down
the blending spokes and entered through
the vast and sunlike hub into what
seemed the sun itself; then he thought
the wheel was Time and the sparks
were lives, and he strained to see into
the region where they went until he
seemed to be going blind, and the great
wheel seemed receding and growing
less and less, and going farther and
farther into the darkness, until il dwin-
died TO a single spark which seemed
90 turn into the doomed bOok-keeper' )
voice, and wall TO him family from
under the fatal oak: "See Ivyl Snaer!
sce-lvyl-S-n-a-e-rn Far and far away
in the storm it seemed. and he was
striving yainly 10 90 TO il, when it
slowly changed and seemed the voice
OF Celeste singing silverly away 80 in
the sky Then suddenly il seemed
summer time and he and Celeste were
hunting in the flowers and grass for
Maun's grave. But they could not
find il, and stood looking into each
others eyes with wondering gaze.
when Celeste said, slowly: at was
made here, but the grass has all grown
over IL and il must be as if it had never
been!' and he thought such look as
he had never seen there before, look
that was a kind of rosy light, come
into her face and shone into his and
filled him with so sweet n feeling that
he awoke, and the gray dawn was filter
ing in through the frosty window and
the storm was pelting against it and
beating over and securing across the
tin roof of Bowers Block.
In q moment, when the truth and his
dreams were separated. the dark past
came back upon him, and be shivered
and got up and moved sorely about,
replacing his damp, torn clothing with
dry apparel. Then he bathed his face,
and putting on his oyercoat started
out, but paused at the door and took
from his pocket the scrap of paper ad-
dressed 10 Fowler which he found ON
that swful trail, and which contained
Maun's confession of her love for John
Earring, and that through 1t she knew
Of her sin, and begged that she and
Fowler might never meet again. For
some time he stood still looking 20 the
lvart-breaking thing. and seeing all the
Tightful detail Of the crime, as he had
hundred times. pass over it. ''She
didn't knowl She didn't known he
whispered, and went shuddering back
90 the stove, and opening il put the
fell-tRle paper into the smoldering fire
nnd with 1t Maun's most saddening Sc
cret Then he went down aud got a
cup OF coffee at the hotel where he took
his meals, hearing every where buzz
about the tragedy of the night, and
how the cororer had gone out 10 cut
the body down. But he said nothing;
20 him the case was ended, and he
climbed the stairs 10 the office of Bow
or a. Woodman and refreshing the
hres, for the old, slipshod janitOr had
not yet appeared. he destroyed all the
notes he had made touching the trial
and set atOnce TO work upon some new
business. But though turning his
mind strenuously from the torturing
held which he had just left, that cry:
''See lyyl Snaerl see Iyyl Snaerhi
kept ringing within him, imminqled
somehow with Celeste's far-Ofr. silvery
singing He well-nigh believed il a
delusioni but he could not silence it,
and got up ere long and stood at
the window brooding over Il. What
could the doomed man have meant by
calling after himP What had the
name 10 do with hiInp He repeated
i over again aud again, then he went
back carefully -along the pathway OF
his life trying 10 recall every name he
'"'"'- 'fH|A NA''AAf nNuutnlN nc fIHTIou
and walked about excitedly. He re-
membercd having heard Joel Whitney
mention this curious name years before
IN connection with the murder of his
father All, was be stumbling upon |
the secret OF that long-forgotten mys-
tcryP The blood surged into bis |
temples, and be began hurriedly to
pnf on his orercoaL II was BY no |
means clear what be should do. but
must be done about thisi
AZ the door be met Ahsalom Heater.
That lpng-siriding, wordless person
same directly in. and. flirting the snow |
rom his dark beard. threw bis mealy !
nll|erT hat upon tho table aud sat |
I1,fn.
That silll devil knowod something
|on ought 70 khop,' hn began. look |
ue 4 little consciously az John Earling.
lha stood with his hand on tho door. |
mob iontldint him Ia aieady silence,
a INY NA1lNd o make him snlllor |